Fallen
by Epic.Anime.77
Summary: Shyla, a used-to-be ninja was living a 'safe' life, away from the fighting she hated the most, but when a certain figure from her past unexpectedly finds her, she becomes trapped in game of manipulation. And what does he want with the Hidden Leaf Village?
1. Prologue

"What is it that you want?"

Her voice shook. Her thin hands trembled, despite her efforts to control them. Her feet remained planted, frozen to the floor. Only the rain could be heard, a slight _pitter-patter_ from above. She paid no attention to it. Her eyes, drawn into a steely glare, were focused on the one she feared, the one she knew was coming for her. So bliss was the ignorance she had fooled herself with, and now she paid the price.

"You cannot hide from me," the man's voice, barely above a whisper spoke. He smiled a rather rueful smile, although it could hardly be detected in the shadows of the room. He didn't need to raise his voice to be a powerful presence. To her, he was a living symbol of fear, but when you live in a world full of shinobi like this one, it's either fear that consumes you, or death.

"I'm done hiding," the young woman stated, her voice steadying as her courage, or maybe it was foolishness, grew, "I have no need to fear you."

And in an instant, the man was behind her, his warm breath in her hair and a blade around her neck. She froze instantly, as expected.

"Are you sure about that now?" His voice mere centimeters from her ear, "Because the way I see it, you have everything to fear, blind child as you are, Shyla."

"You have nothing to gain by killing me, and I have nothing to lose," Shyla laughed bitterly, but that laugh was stopped abruptly by the blade's sudden cut into her skin. "Cut me, torture me, kill me, I don't care. My reason to live has been fulfilled, and it seems nothing can replace it," she said as a smile graced her lips, despite the immediate danger she was in.

"Oh, I can do much worse," the man's voice in her ear threatened, "You may've forgotten, but I haven't. I still hold the one thing you care about, the one thing that can move your seemingly stone heart. Shinobi's don't show emotion, but of course now, it's difficult to call you a worthy shinobi," Shyla could almost feel the smirk on his lips as he said those words, "I used to respect you. A shinobi of your skill was one to be feared, but you no longer hold that authority. You are still a child, but even children have their uses."

Shyla's eyes narrowed at these words, her expression a blank mask in an instant. "Continue," she said, keeping any signs of curiosity or worry from her voice.

"I have need of you," the man said simply, "and I believe I have something that can, let's say, _convince_ you to listen. After all," he leaned closer, his lips grazing her ear and whispered, "You are still mine. You belong to me."

He left her side and laughed a deep, dark laugh that echoed off the walls of the room. Shyla stood rooted to the spot, her gaze transfixed on the floor. She could hear his quiet footsteps and knew that he was no longer behind her, but standing before her with his sword in its sheath. A sudden fear had gripped her and she found it hard to meet his eyes, knowing that even after all this time, _they_ were coming back.

Her emotions were coming back.

"My dear Shyla," the man said as he was on his way out, "There is but one thing I need you to do and in return," he smiled another one of his sly smiles as his voice dropped, "I can give you back the one thing you want." And then he was gone.

"Wait!" Shyla called out, losing her composure and emotional façade completely. It was only a second later that she realized what she had done. A foolish mistake, that one, even a used-to-be shinobi should never make.

His voice, a bitter laugh danced throughout the room thought the man himself could not be seen.

"Tell me," Shyla's voice quivered as she repeated her question she asked not too long ago, "What do you want from me?" Silence. The rain had let up and all that could be heard was the steady dripping of rain. _Drip…drip…drip… _

"All I want," the voice reappeared as soon as it left, "is one thing." Shyla waited and listened. She braced herself for anything this bane of existence could throw at her, but she wasn't prepared for this.

"I want you... to kill Lexis Nerezza, of the Hidden Leaf Village."

* * *

A short prologue, I know, but it is the introduction to my story I hope I can develop well. Feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and if you think this story can turn out well, despite the fact that it wasn't much to read, let me know. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1

The endless gloom from the clouds above cast a heavy shadow over the quiet village. The leaves clung to the trees as they were thrown around in the wind. Lanterns were lit, each one giving off a faint glow, only enough to guide one to the next and so on. The beauty of it all; the dullness and the majestic rain falling like teardrops. How sad, only the simplest explanation will do.

It was raining.

A young man, with short dark curls, pulled back with an official shinobi headband, bounced with each step he took following the road back into his home village. His breath came out in smoky clouds of white and his hands trembled in the icy air. His head was down, his gaze directed on the trampled and dancing leaves, although he didn't seem to mind the rain. In fact, he seemed to welcome it. The young man, if glanced upon from a distance, was but a dim silhouette. Two swords safely in their sheaths, rested on his back.

He trudged along the path, mind occupied as his village's entrance gates came into view. He barely spared a glance up as he walked through the gate. Ninja here recognized him, this was his home after all, but perhaps not in the way he would've wanted. When his comrades looked at him, he could see their respect for his skill with dual blades. However, he could also sense their reproach and knew their guards were up. Even the seemingly harmless villages regarded him coolly, as they seemed not to fully trust him. It couldn't be helped, the young man had rationalized, since a lone ninja who just happened to stumble across this village those years ago would not be welcomed warmly. People were still suspicious; a young teenager, almost fully grown and trained, suddenly stumbles into the village claiming memory loss.

They had no reason not to be suspicious.

Yet here he was. This village was his home and he had sworn to protect it and its inhabitants. They may not appreciate his efforts but that is of no concern to him.

The young man, nearing a familiar apartment called 'home', entered without a moment's hesitation. He let out a sigh as he undressed, gently laying his swords on his bed and climbed into the shower. Refreshed and exhausted some twenty minutes later, the young man could be found lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling. His stare was blank and unfocused. After a mission as such, his routine was to reward himself with a restful sleep. However, the events of this mission left the young man in a state of confusion.

He let out a heavy sigh and got up from the bed. His gaze shifted to the window, where only the rain pelting the glass could be heard. For a reason he could not explain, the young man was transfixed, mesmerized by the rhythm of something as simple as rain.

_Tap-tap-ta-tap-ta-ta-tap. _…No, that was not it.

There was something about the rain that tugged at his mind, playing games with his thoughts. And there was something….familiar. Perhaps that was what he was worried about the most.

The young man sighed again, and it seemed to bring him out of his reverie. He lost interest in the window and crept silently back to the comfort of his bed. Slipping beneath the covers, he lay there in the dark listening to his own breathing.

There was something about that mission that unsettled him. He vaguely related his strange feelings to his broken memories, but soon dismissed it. It was not something he wanted to know, not right now.

He had found, a few months ago when he was out training in his village's training grounds, his fragments of his memory had reappeared. They were not at all pleasant, though there was not much sense to be made with them. Needless to say, he had lost ideal training time and had spent the rest of the day sitting on his bed in thought. The realization that the mission could trigger more memories frightened him, though he was a proud shinobi and would never admit it.

Sometimes, though, when he lay awake at night and his mind refused to succumb to sleep, he thought about it. And as soon as he thought about it, he quickly swept the thought away, deciding he was better off not knowing. Some things were meant to stay a mystery, and some things were meant to be buried. These memories, he decided, were such things.

As he listened to the rain dance above him, he found the beat to be quite soothing and soon, he was asleep. But one cannot sleep without a final word or a whisper to the dark silence. That whisper was one thing silence will keep a secret. But to anyone listening, they would find there was more to the lonely, isolated, strong-willed young man than is first noticed. His whisper embodied a child's voice, pleading for something lost but never found.

Perhaps there was more to his words, but what more could there be from someone nothing more than child who acted as mature and wise as a man? Nothing more than a simple whisper.

"Why did you have to go?"

And the rain kept falling.

* * *

What did you think? Is it a good start? Please take the time to review and comment. I know this may be a slow start but I'm trying my best.

Who is this young man? and what do his broken memories contain, if they contain anything at all? A short chapter, but it will get better.

Thanks for reading.


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